


The Bridegroom carries off the Bride

by Oscarthegrouch



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - War, Alternate Universe - World War I, Angst, Gothic, Inspired by a poem, M/M, Mention of a dead animal, Sad, Soldier Hannibal, Tagging is spoling, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 18:27:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17085437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oscarthegrouch/pseuds/Oscarthegrouch
Summary: The war brings Will a young German soldier, when he leaves for battle to the Chemin des Dames, he promises to wait for his return.Alas, the battle has ended and there is no sign of his soldier. Will fears for the worst.





	The Bridegroom carries off the Bride

**Author's Note:**

> This work is very much inspired by the ballade ''Lenore'' by G.A. Bürger. If you read it now you'll get entirely spoiled.  
> I might do a Chapter 1 but it's not taking form right now.

* * *

 

The fever wedges a splitting pain that pulls his eyes and separates his mind. Will holds his skull moaning back his tears. He sweats in big drops, the sheets are damp and his feet are sticky. He arches under the unsustainable warmth, rolls to find a fresher side and falls on Hannibal's pillow.

Will grips it and inhales. He presses his nose harder and harder. Until he can't breath from the pressure. When he's unable to pick anything he screams. His toenails dig and claw at the mattress as he starts pounding with his fists. And he screams.

He sobs again. Until he's blinded by the water and deaf from the rush of blood. His face is swollen and his lips bitten. Will pulls at his hair and starts calming himself. He watches the clock nearing midnight and drops against the pillow. He inhales again and cries softly against it. Cursing the world, cursing God, cursing Eros.

He doesn't hear the knock on the door. The pounding of the rain outside is too loud for him to notice. His sobs are too loud for him to notice.

He wants to die.

The knocking continues.

Will finally raises to catch the sound. It's continuous and discreet.

He doesn't want to here it anymore.

He presses his hands against his ears and rocks.

 _I'm dead to the world,_ he murmurs.

''By this nighttime my love, are you sleeping ? Are you dreaming ? Can't you hear me at your door ?''

The voice pierces through the skin of his hands and grabs his heart. Will stops breathing. His eyes widen and he shifts, tight like a bow's rope to concentrate, to overcome the rain and fever, to hear that voice again.

The knocking resumes and Will jumps out of bed.

He tears it open with a violent movement. The door slams against the wall and Hannibal steps back from the noise.

Will thinks he'll die now, from the pressure the world puts on his heart, from the pressure hurting his eyes. His body trembles and his mouth opens.

''Good night my love. Are you laughing or crying ?''

Will's face distorts further. He's doing both.

He jumps in Hannibal's arms, presses his feverish body against his cold one and forces the man's head down to inhales his strong neck. Will presses against him more violently and bites him under his Adam’s apple.

Hannibal doesn't protest. He holds him tight against him and lets him feel his body.

''I prayed and cried'' Will says.

''I know'' Hannibal answers.

''I begged and swore''.

''I know.'' Hannibal says again.

''I thought you were dead.'' almost shouts.

''I know'' he says in almost a whisper.

''I …'' Hannibal interrupts him by taking his lips. They savor each others taste until Will starts crying again and Hannibal presses his head against his shoulder.

Will raises his head and looks at his soldier's brown eyes. He takes his cheeks and whispers : ''come inside it's cold''.

Hannibal steps away and shakes his head. ''No. I found us a house''

Will blinks. ''A house ?''

Hannibal smiles. ''With vine. Near by a lake.''

William smiles and shakes all over. He doesn't know if it's because of the cold.

''Come ride with me I'll take you to it.''

The dark horse behind them steps closer and Will shakes his head.

''Now ? I need to pack Hannibal.''

He looks at the soldier and the bed far away in the back were they had shared their first and only night.

''Rest with me.'' he suggests.

The man's body is still strong and vigorous. Will is pleased he hasn't lost any weight.

''Yes I will, Will my sweet. There is a bed in this house. A nuptial bed.'' Will blushes and Hannibal pulls him further away from the entry. He takes him in his arms and murmurs in his ears. ''Sheets white and ceiling sky blue. I brought flowers to decorate. I brought logs to warm us with a fire. The window is big and I want to see you naked in the moonlight in the throws of our passion. Come now William. I ride. We'll arrive at morning.''

Will looks back at his shed and then at Hannibal's warmth. He hadn't seen him in three months.

''Let me dress up'' he concedes.

When he comes out of the shed Hannibal is on his horse. He extends a hand to Will who takes it to climb behind him.

He shivers as his body makes contact anew with his lover.

He hugs him tight against his chest. He can hear Hannibal's smile.

Hannibal orders the horse onwards. His old worn boots press against its flanks.

The sky is full of stars, his lover near, Will closes his eyes in a moment of bliss.

''Where are we going Hannibal ?''

''To our house.''

Will presses his head against the angel bone. He smells the humidity, the rot of the tranches. Sweat. Pain. He closes his eyes. In another world, Hannibal would have had the life he deserved.

The wind laps at their thighs. Will's fever is too high for him to mind but they're going fast. So fast.

''How do you do it Hannibal, make it go so fast ?''

Hannibal turns around ''I ride fast now, hooray, I'm taking my bride home.'' His eyes sparkle and his smile is all teeth.

Will laughs.

''We're going at the pace of the dead. The dead ride fast.''

Will winces. ''Leave the dead be.''

''Are you afraid of the dead ?''

''No, but leave the dead be.''

The houses have disappeared a while ago, a new town passes, than a long road. It seems they have traveled through deserts and seas.

Hannibal's heels are relentless and the beast carrying them pounds the ground in a heavy rhythm.

Finally Will starts feeling cold. He slides his hands under Hannibal's coat, against his naked back to warm them up. But Hannibal is as cold as him, if not more.

He shivers, he senses something in the wind.

Will looks at Hannibal's tall back and worries.

''Hannibal turn around ?''

Hannibal complies. His hair is ruffled by their speed and his eyes shine, the moon reflects in them. ''My dove?''

Will shakes his head. ''Just a feeling.'' he mutters.

He falls silent. He stops gazing at the stars. Stops wondering at his lover's neck.

Will recognizes the route to the Chemin des Dames.

''Do you know where you are going?'' he dares.

''To our house.'' Hannibal answers ''I ride fast now, we'll arrive shortly.''

A single tear escapes Will's dark eyes.

''How far is the bed you talk about ?'' he whispers in the wind.

Hannibal doesn't answer. The horse is set lose. It's powerful legs moves them out of the stone path to a muddied one. Will can't see its steam in the cold dark night.

''Hannibal'' Will whispers again. ''Tell me of the house you made for us.''

Hannibal presses his heels on the horse's flanks and his eyes don't shine in the moonlight.

''It's small and soft like a nest. It's for lovers who promised their hearts to each other. It smells like honey and camomile and the sun is always setting pink on its windows.''

Will looks up and sees the disappearing stars.

Hannibal whips the rains harder. He needs to bring them before sunrise.

''Hannibal, tell me of the life you'll make for us.'' Will begs.

Hannibal turns around. His lovers head is obscured by his curls. ''My sweet, why hide yourself behind my back, why is sadness lacing your words ?''

He takes Will's chin to catch his trembling lips into a kiss and Will sobs louder as he tries not to taste anything.

''My love are you afraid ?''

''No''

''I'll put you to sleep, every night, with the passion that stands proudly for you between my legs. And I'll let you wake at the hours you see fit, every morning. I'll bring to you a single rose and fresh honeyed scones made by my hands. I'll feed you figs and kiss the crumbs on your face. I'll make you drink the clearest and purest of waters.''

''And then you'll make love to me again ?'' Will asks, voice croaking towards the end.

Hannibal whips the horse, yellow stains the horizon.

''I will worship you yes. Or sketch you. Or watch you, because there are not greater pleasure for me than to see you breath.'' he answers. ''I will cherish and....

Will squeezes him so tight Hannibal doesn't finish his sentence.

Yellow stains the sky and a horrible smell starts bloom as they arrive on the hills.

Will's nose is clogged by it and his frozen legs seek desperate comfort on the big belly of the cold horse.

Will closes his eyes and starts to recite: ''I promise from this day on to be your student and your teacher.'' he says softly. ''I promise from this day on to be your partner in conflict, to be your ally in sickness.'' his voice is so gentle Hannibal doesn't hear him. The horse is having trouble pulling them ontop of the hill. ''I promise from this day on to cherish and accept you, to love you entirely.'' His voice breaks as the horse crumbles down into a putrid mash of rotten flesh.

There is only one eye left. Next to it an exploed cavity of meat. The big beast keeps breathing, looking at its two riders fallen to the ground.

Tears stain Will's eyes again. He looks at Hannibal. His face is torn off. There is no more lip covering his teeth.

Hannibal leans to kiss him.

He takes Will by the hand and raises him to his feet.

''Why are you crying my love. Can't you see our beautiful house ?''

Will stares head were a shallow excavated grave lays.

Hannibal smiles at him and it makes his left eye droop.

Will starts sobbing again and Hannibal kneels. ''My love, don't you like it ? Is it too small ?''

Will shakes his head and digs his fingers in the soft flesh. The hair feels the same.

''I will build it anew'' the corpse says, kissing his knuckles.

''No it's beautiful'' he murmurs.

Hannibal smiles and raises to his feet.

Under his tall coat he wears a white shirt.

The shirt William at given him for special occasions.

He lifts Will up and twirls him around in his happiness.

Will looks around. Shells and machines. Burnt trees and grass. Mulled and darkened earth.

''I love you'' Hannibal says pressing his nose against his warm belly.

''I love you'' Will chokes as he watches his last sun rise.

The smell is even stronger now. And Will can see it. The bullet the went straight to his heart.

His heart.

''Come let me lay you on our bed.''

Will's feet hit the ground and he looks back over his shoulder as he is lead to the slippery hole.

His little dog sculpture lays at the bottom.

The mud soaks into his back and smells so strongly of death he gags.

Hannibal's form covers the raising sun.

He ascends on Will, covers him with his body and kisses him with his lip-less mouth. Will feels his erection pressing against his crotch.

Hannibal lifts himself on an elbow and worries. ''Are you not comfortable my everything?''

Will closes his eyes.

His cock is limp and Hannibal presses their bodies harder against one another.

''I missed you'' he says instead.

Hannibal laughs. ''I missed you too my Will. Aren't you proud of me ?'' he beams. ''At what I found for us ? Won't we be happy?''

Will cringes at how he sounds.

He opens his eyes and stares at the daylight.

He finishes: ''from this day on to be only yours, faithfully for the present like the future...

Forever''

 

* * *

 


End file.
